


Did you expect this to turn out better?

by whiffingbooks



Series: These prompts keep pulling me in [18]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Feels, F/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28570224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiffingbooks/pseuds/whiffingbooks
Summary: Prompt - Did you expect this to turn out better?Ginny and Ron talk after the breakup in HBP.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Series: These prompts keep pulling me in [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859185
Comments: 8
Kudos: 43





	Did you expect this to turn out better?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theroomofreq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theroomofreq/gifts).



Dumbledore's funeral hurt her. Seeing the tall, smiley-faced man lying still was not an easy experience. She didn't want to look at his dead body, afraid to see the milky white eyes that had started popping up in her nightmares. Scrimgeour's presence was nothing but a reminder that Dumbledore wasn't the odd Headmaster she was used to. That he was a powerful man who was holding back You-Know-Who.

She had seen the breakup coming from miles away. Harry had been clinging to her for the last few days. She had been tempted to believe that he was sad about his old mentor's passing. But as he continued to spend all of his time with her and whispering to her brother and Hermione when he didn't, she knew it was coming.

They already got more time than she thought they would have.

"Don't look at me like that," Ginny snapped after Ron sneaked another glance at her. "If you have anything to say, say it. Don't dawdle."

He jumped, fear shining in his eyes over being caught.

"What? I wasn't!" He protested rather weakly.

She stood up. She strode up to the compartment door and opened it with a bang. In the corner of her eye, she saw Ron jump at the sound.

"Do you want anything, dear?" The old Trolley witch offered, her trolley full of sweets.

"Yes. Do you know what sweet helps the most to deal with a heartbreaking breakup?" Ginny asked sweetly.

Ten minutes later, both the siblings were sitting, dozens of chocolate wrappers thrown on the ground. Ron was trying to lighten her mood by narrating stories, but he stopped midway every time Harry's name came up. Which was a lot.

"So, we threw the firework at Malfoy and H -" Ron stopped.

"Who?" 

Irritated, he tore off another Chocolate Frog wrapper. "You know who I'm talking about."

"I don't know what you're even doing here, Ron. Don't you have somewhere else to go?" She knew her friends were avoiding her compartment because of her brother. Normally, she would look forward to spending time with him, but that day, she couldn't separate him from Harry's best mate.

"I wanted to check up on you." He stared at her, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Why do you care? I know what you want to say." She knew she was being unfair, but she needed to rage. She had been a good girl, accepting the breakup without breaking down. She needed someone to know how much she was hurting.

"You don't have any idea," Ron said sternly.

"'Well, Ginny. Another guy you couldn't make it work out with. This time, at least, you managed to shack up with your childhood obsession. Did you expect this to turn out better? After all, it's you!" She threw her head back and laughed bitterly.

"I wasn't going to -" 

"How did you even find out? Since you accompanied me right from the train entrance, I reckon he told you before," she interrupted.

"He said you broke up," Ron prodded gently. He was being careful, the way he usually did when he was afraid of being reprimanded. 

"Oh really?" She gave a nasty smirk. "I was under the impression he dumped me. Too bummed out about telling his best mate that, I see."

Finally, Ron cracked. She knew mocking Harry would incense Ron and he would probably stomp away. 

"Oi, he's suffering too! I'm pretty sure it's not an easy ride for him. Especially not now, with Dumbledore dead."

Ginny whirled towards him, her finger jabbing his chest.

"Yes! The secret. I have no bloody idea what that even means! It's not like -" _Anyone cares about you_ , Tom's silky voice echoed in her ear and she faltered.

She faced the window, focusing on the lush fields passing by. She hastily blinked back the tears, pointedly ignoring the pain blooming in her chest. She knew enough to distrust the voice inside, but the underlying matter of Harry lying to her about Dumbledore and the ease with which he broke things off with her arose the prickling words that never comfort her.

"Ginny..." Ron spoke gently. She shook her head.

"You should go to him. You need to figure out what you have to say to Mum." She didn't turn around.

"I don't think so," Ron said, hesitation in his voice. 

Ginny faced him and tried to give him a convincing smile. "I'll be okay. I like being alone."

He didn't move for some time, his eyes roving around her face to find something. Finally, he sighed. Nodding, he got up.

"Okay. I'll head out for now. Call me if you need me." Surprising her, he dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"What was that for?" Ron's ears turned red and he glared at her.

"You looked sad. Don't get used to it," he warned.

This time, she smiled for real. "Not in my wildest dreams."

Ron left, taking away all of the warmth with him. Her eyes stung with tears, but she refused to shed them. She pointed her wand towards the compartment door and locked it. She wasn't going to cry here; that task was for when she was surrounded by the walls of her room. Losing herself to the numbness, she curled into herself and shut her eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [whiffingbooks](https://whiffingbooks.tumblr.com/)


End file.
